'Whalefall' director hopes survival story inspires awe of whales

LONDON - Director Brian Duffield envisions his new survival thriller "Whalefall" as the antithesis to "Jaws." "In a lot of ways the whale is the hero of the movie," Duffield remarked at the film's London premiere. Whale enthusiasts welcomed the movie and expressed their hope that it would inspire viewers to learn more about these majestic creatures.

"Whalefall" is based on Daniel Kraus’ 2023 novel and revolves around Jay, portrayed by Austin Abrams, who dives off California's Monastery Beach in search of his late father's remains. While exploring, Jay finds himself inside a sperm whale and must find a way to survive and escape. Josh Brolin, who plays Jay's father, expressed his desire for the film to leave a distinct impact compared to the Steven Spielberg's shark blockbuster.

"I hope (people) want to go home and hug their families and…realise that we have a short time here and might as well utilise it the best we can," Brolin said. The film delves into themes of grief and a complex father-son relationship, aspects that appealed to Brolin as well. "I sobbed at the end of the book," he shared. "Partially because of the father-son relationship, partially because it’s truly a hero story."

To bring the story to life, the filmmakers constructed large-scale whale interiors and exteriors, with computer-generated imagery utilized solely to enhance the environments. "Everyone who worked on this movie said it was the hardest thing they’ve ever done," Duffield mentioned, adding that even merely sitting inside the whale set proved to be an "incredibly dangerous stunt" for "Resident Evil" star Abrams.

Kraus, who co-wrote the film’s screenplay with Duffield, mentioned that the concept was inspired by a viral video of kayakers inadvertently finding themselves inside a whale's mouth. "Immediately, (I) had what I felt at the time was the best idea I’ve ever had," he explained. "Could someone really be swallowed by a whale?" After consulting whale experts, he discovered that, under the right conditions, a person could indeed be swallowed by a sperm whale.

When asked if Jay's fate could actually happen to a human, Duffield chuckled, saying, "a lot of things have to go very badly for you for it to happen." "But sperm whales are designed to do one thing and one thing only, which is eat giant squid. And so if you’re smaller than a giant squid, you can fit down that throat," he explained.

"Who knows what happens next?" "Whalefall" is set to commence its global theatrical release on October 14.